Based on the first season of the program "Dexter" is an extremely original, entertaining but disturbingly morally wayward adult program on the Showtime network. Parents, this is not a program rated TV-MA just for the adult content (i.e.: f--k flies freely, deranged sexual content including nudity, and disturbingly glorified violence) but it is also rated "mature" because of the unsettling overtones in the series. This is not a show watched for the faint of heart. It is watched out of curiousity and once you're hooked on the storyline it doesn't let go. Watch if you like movies such as "Mr. Brooks" or shows such as "The Shield", but if not that then watch out because you're either in for a surprise in that you've found a new favorite show or one in which your stomach is turning over in disgust of the strange thematic elements that riddle this show like the blood drops that shower the crime scenes. I give this show a 5/5 star rating for its originality. AGES 17+ ONLY!
Dexter
(Rated TV-MA, Drama, Starring Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, Michael C. Hall, Where to watch: CBS, Showtime, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Bloody drama for adults only -- we mean it!
Why We Rated This 
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Dexter was written by Kari Croop
Parents need to know that this violent drama -- originally made for pay cable -- now airs on CBS in primetime. It focuses on a "hero" who is a serial killer, it's extremely dark and violent, and it's not intended for kids or teens in any way. CBS has bleeped out the profanity but left the story untouched. Blood is shown so often that it's almost a secondary character, and the protagonist is probably one of the worst role models a kid could have. Graphic close-ups of severed arms, legs, and heads reveal tissue that looks almost meat-like, so if you're watching without your kids, leave the munchies in the kitchen.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the fact that killing another human being, no matter what your motives might be, is 100 percent wrong. But is committing a less-drastic act that you know to be illegal ever OK if the person you're committing it against is a bad seed? How far is too far when it comes to revenge? Is there a point when your actions become just as reprehensible as the people and bad deeds you're targeting? Do the ends ever justify the means?
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More on Dexter
What’s the Story?
As the macabre titular character of DEXTER (which is based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay), Michael C. Hall plays a man who metes out his own brand of vigilante justice on pedophiles, thieves, and the like by tracking them down and brutally killing them -- in the vein of Hammurabi's "eye for an eye" code. But the real catch is Dexter Morgan's day job: He's a blood-splatter expert for the Miami Police Department. Of course, the other people in Dexter's life are clueless about his sick hobby.
Is It Any Good?
Dexter has a provocative premise, and it grasps desperately at being "edgy" by using blood and violence as a morbid punch line. But unlike the far superior American Psycho on the big screen (starring Christian Bale in a near-flawless performance), there's just something that doesn't work here. Despite the potential of the premise, the show lacks true bite -- and the use of a lifeless voiceover to guide viewers through the action doesn't help.
Our Members Say
See 31 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
An Orignal and Disturbingly Entertaining Program.
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
An Orignal and Disturbingly Entertaining Program.
Based on the first season of the program "Dexter" is an extremely original, entertaining but disturbingly morally wayward adult program on the Showtime network. Parents, this is not a program rated TV-MA just for the adult content (i.e.: f--k flies freely, deranged sexual content including nudity, and disturbingly glorified violence) but it is also rated "mature" because of the unsettling overtones in the series. This is not a show watched for the faint of heart. It is watched out of curiousity and once you're hooked on the storyline it doesn't let go. Watch if you like movies such as "Mr. Brooks" or shows such as "The Shield", but if not that then watch out because you're either in for a surprise in that you've found a new favorite show or one in which your stomach is turning over in disgust of the strange thematic elements that riddle this show like the blood drops that shower the crime scenes. I give this show a 5/5 star rating for its originality. AGES 17+ ONLY!
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
It's on HBO, so expect tons of sex, violence and profanity. I've been watching it since it first aired. It's a very good show with great preformances. I think it is for the most part appropriate for ages 14 and up. The DVD is rated 14A in Canada.
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I rate this title on for age 7 and give it- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
Great show that is the epitome of great acting. Fine for mature teens.
Listen, I'm 17 and I have been watching this show since it originally aired (it just finished it's fourth season) and I think that it is by far the best tv show I have ever seen! Now, it has copious amounts of violence, language, and nudity (which becomes more graphic as the seasons progress) and if you have children that you know aren't going to be influenced by the content, it is a fantastic show that has some of the best acting and story lines that I have ever seen. Also, the language, violence, etc. don't always seem that outrageous; the reason being that it fits the characters that use it. It's not as if a 12 year old girl is swearing at the top of her lungs- it's done by middle aged cops and detectives working for the Miami Metro Homicide division, so I would probably be appauled if they didn't use that type of language. Uh, let's see... the only other real concern parents might have is the fact that the show basically calls you to question your own sense of morals, in that you want to sympathize with a serial killer even though he is, after all, a killer. All-in-all, this show is fantastic and your kids probably see just about as much nudity & violence as they would in an average, high-budget horror movie, and the language that they most likely hear in their high school enviornment (I know I do). This show is perfectly appropriate for mature teens ages 15 and up, and make your own call on the "maturity" aspect.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 36% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 36% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 29% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 29% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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